Pocket hygrometer



March 27, H M D POCKET HYGROMETER Filed June 8, 1953 IN VEN TOR. HRAMMkaus DEAN.

J ,yrrom/iy United States Patent POCKET HYGROMETER Hiram Marcus Dean,Berkeley, Calif.

Application June 8, 1953, Serial No. 360,261

2 Claims. (Cl. 73-337) My present invention relates to a convenientpocket device and more particularly to a new and novel pocket hygrometerby which atmospheric conditions maybe de termined.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel hygrometer that can beconveniently carried in the pocket and exposed to the atmosphere 'todetermine ambient weather conditions.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved hygrometerhaving means by which the sensitive hygrometer element may be protectedagainst body heat or the like when not in actual use.

Other objects and advantages otfimy invention will be in part evident tothose skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown :by wayof illustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment thereof.

in the drawing:

Figure l is a vertical view of my improved device, partly in section andrevealing details of construction,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line Ii-II of Figure1,

Figure 3 is a similar sectional view taken along line lit-ill of Figure1,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the parts in diiferentrelative positions.

Figure 5 is' a horizontal sectional view taken along line V-V of Figurel, and

Figure 6 illustrates a variation of the invention as distinguished fromthe showing in Figure 2.

A feature of my present invention resides in its simplicity ofconstruction. To this end, as will be described, I employ a simpletwisted cat gut element of such construction that it requires notensioning means, but rather extends normally upward from a fixedsupport and freely through a guide at its other end. Another featureresides in the provision of a novel enclosure for the sensitive cat gutwhich will protect the operating element from body heat or otherabnormal conditions when not in use.

For a more detailed description of the invention refer ence is now madeto Figure 1 of the drawings, wherein i have shown a pencil unit 10having lead 11, at one end and to the other end of which there isapplied a hygrometer device, designated generally by the numeral 12. Ashere shown the hygrometer device 12 is attached as a whole to the pencil10 by a surrounding sleeve 13, into which the upper end of the pencil 10is secured. Extending downwardly into the sleeve 13 there is a tubularmember 14 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced elongated slots15. At its upper end the tubular member 14 is closed by a convexed lensforming member 16, which may be of an optical glass or a plastic such asLucite. At the lower end of the tubular member 14 there is a relativelyfixed plug like member 17. Secured to this plug like member 17 andextending upwardly into the tubular member 14 there is a moistureresponsive length of stiff, twisted cat gut 18. At its upper end the catgut element 2,739,479 Patented Mar. 27, 1956 18 extends through a secondadjustable plug 19 that has a suitable bearing opening 20 in which thecat gut freely turns. At its outer end the cat gut element 18 carries apointer '21 that is associated with an indicating chart or scale uponthe outer face of the plug 19. As here shown the plug 19 also carries astop 22 to limit the turning movement of the pointer '21 within thelimits of the scale or chart when the device is in operation.

In order to protect the cat gut element from extreme conditionsand/ orwhen not in use and to further facilitate the use of my improved unitwith a pencil or pen I provide an outer sleeve or tubular member 23,which carries a pocketclip 25 such as is commonly provided with pocketpencils as a means for securing the pencil against loss. This outersleeve 23 completely surrounds the tubular member 14 and is free to turnwith respect thereto. The outer sleeve or tubular member 23 is alsoprovided with circumferentially spaced elongated slots 24 that areadapted when in one position to register with the elongated slots 15 ofthe tubular member 14 and when in another position to form a completeenclosure for the cat gut element 18.

As shown in Figure 2, of the drawing the plug member -19.may be providedwith a chart, here shown as divided into quarters, with weatherindicating indicia applied to each .of these quarters. In thisparticular showing the stop 22 with which the indicating pointer 21cooperates is positioned-between the two quarters designatedrespectively to indicate a period of dry weather or a period of rain.The other two quarters of the chart are here marked to designaterespectively a condition of clear or variable weather. With thisarrangement it will be seen that in moving from an indication of dryatmospheric conditions to an indication of rain, the pointer 21 willtravel through the four weather indicating zones in the order of dry,clear, variable, and finally rain where the pointer 21 will come to restat .theother side of the stop :22.

In Figure 3 of the drawing .the outer sleeve 23 with its clip 25 isshown as in a position with the elongated slots 24 thereof in registerwith the slots 15 of the inner sleeve 14. When the slots 15 and 24 arein register in this manner the cat gut element 18 will be exposed to theambient weather conditions and asthe pointer 21 comes to rest theparticular weather condition prevailing will be indicated upon the chartcarried by the plug 19.

As shown in Figure 4 of the drawing when the hygrometer is not in use,as when the pencil is returned to the pocket or laid away, the outersleeve 23 may be rotated by turning the clip 25 with respect to thepencil. In this way the elongated slots 24 of the outer tubular sleeve23 and at elongated slots 15 of the inner sleeve 14 can be positionedout of register and thus completely enclose the sensitive cat gutelement 18.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the plug member 17, to which the cat gutelement 18 is permanently afiixed, has a central opening into which thelower end of the cat gut 18 is extended and as a means for securing thecat gut 18 rigidly within this member, I employ a wedge 26 that isdriven into the central opening of the plug 17 When the end of the catgut 13 has been positioned therein. After assembly in this manner it iscontemplated that the pointer 21 at the upper end of the cat gut 18 willbe adjusted with respect to the chart carried by the plug member 19 byturning the plug 17 within the sleeve 14. To this end the under side ofthe plug 17 is shown as having spanner Wrench recesses 27 by which itmay be turned relative to the tubular member 14. At this point it willbe noted that the plug 17 is shown as held into the tubular member 14 bya tight drive fit. This provides for an independent axial or rotaryadjustment of the plug 17 without disturbing its adjustment in the otherrespect.

In Figure 6, of the drawing there is shown a variation of the inventionin which the printed word designations are omitted and a colorarrangement is substituted therefor. In this embodiment the dry quadrantis indicated as yellow in color, the clear quadrant is blue in color,the variable quadrant is red in color, and the rain quadrant is black incolor. This latter arrangement is suggested for the reason that due tothe size of the end of the pencil it may be diflicult to apply and/ orread printed designations such as are described in connection withFigure 2 of the drawing.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose theinvention so that the same can be readily understood, described andillustrated specific devices and arrangements, I desire to have itunderstood that this invention is not limited to the specific meansdisclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggestthemselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that thisinvention is new and all such changes as come within the scope of theappended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a pocket hygrometer, the combination of an open ended cylindricalmember having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending slotsformed therein, a dial carrying plug mounted within one end of saidcylindrical member having a central opening and weather indicatingindicia upon its exposed end, a rotatably and axially adjustableplug-like support frictionally held in the other end of said cylindricalmember, a length of stifi, twisted moisture sensitive material securedat one end upon said pluglike support and extending centrally into saidcylindrical member with its free end projecting through the centralopening of said dial carrying plug, a pointer secured upon the free endof said moisture sensitive material for cooperation with the weatherindicating indicia upon said dial carrying plug, said pointer beingproperly related to the weather indicating indicia upon said dialcarrying plug by rotary and axial adjustments of said plug-like support,and a cylindrical protective sleeve mounted externaliy upon saidcylindrical member having spaced longitudinally extending slots adaptedand arranged upon a rotasaid moisture sensitive material when its slotsare moved into and out of register with the slots of said cylindricalmember.

2. In a pocket hygrometer, the combination of an open ended cylindricalmember having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending slotsformed therein, a dial carrying plug mounted within one end of saidcylindrical member having a central opening and weather indicatingindicia upon its exposed end, a plug-like support extending with a tightfit into the other end of said cylindrical member, a length of stilt,twisted moisture sensitive material secured at one end upon saidplug-like support and extending centrally into said cylindrical memberwith its free end projecting through the central opening of said dialcarrying plug, a pointer secured upon the free end of said moisturesensitive material for co-operation with the weather indicating indiciaupon said dial carrying plug, a cylindrical protective sleeve rotatablymounted upon said cylindrical member having a pocket engaging clip andspaced longitudinally extending slots adapted and arranged upon rotationof said sleeve to be brought into and out of register with thecircumferentially spaced longitudinally extending slots of saidcylindrical member to respectively expose and conceal said moisturesensitive material when said protective sleeve is rotated about saidcylindrical member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS780,791 Gerrer Jan. 24, 1905 801,074 Gerrer Oct. 3, 1905 855,473McAlpine June 4, 1907 1,162,606 Heaford Nov. 30, 1915 1,336,380Sampietro Apr. 6, 1920 1,553,258 Moore Sept. 8, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS2,786 Great Britain Sept. 29, 1910 381,308 Germany Sept. 18, 1923845,530 France May 5, 1939

